Cyanobacteria and hair algae?

[Staaan]

So yeah..

Its been a little over 1.5 months that I've had this tank running.

6g Nanocube with all stock parts. No powerheads, no upgrade pumps, everything is stock.

So I think I have cyanobacteria.. as well as some hair algae.

I'm posting up some pics and video so maybe some one can help me.. definitely feeling like a failure as a reefer haha.

So first I'll start with the video to display what is probably cyanobacteria as Ted (aznt1217) told me..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbYeWBU3_B8



*OH and as you'll see in the video I saw what is I assume is the exo skeleton of the cleaner shrimp? Is it normal for them to shed their shell?



Next is the hair algae.. I don't think its quite visible on the video, however I have some pics of the frag that I'm 99% sure is responsible.

I got a Paly frag.. and I remember it having a few "green strands" but I didn't think much of it.. or to pull it off. It bloomed like crazy... and I pulled off as much off the frag as I could. Here are some pics from before I plucked off all the hair algae:

So what can and should I do? What are my options? Will everything in my tank die? :-(

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Special blend and algae blenny
read up on sb, lot of good storys of this product

 

[cmor1701d]

Siphon out as much as possible on the next water change. Check for nitrates and phosphates. Get a power head in threre and get some flow. If it can't get a foothold it can't spread.

Boyd's make a product for cyano that works great. I bought it few years ago and it helped me get a start on beating it.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

GOOD THREAD -READ THIS, I HAVE IT ALSO AND ITS STARTING TO GO AWAY AFTER USING SB

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1767673

 

[Staaan]

Thanks alot guys! I've actually used Special Blend, well.. actually Microbe Lifts 3 step system..

Used this one ..

Will def. go pick some up tomorrow!

 

[Staaan]

*Wouldn't an algae blenny add too much to my bioload since I already have 2 ocerlaris clowns and 1 cleaner?

 

[Killerdrgn]

To your other question, yes all crustaceans molt their shells to grow.

 

[Reefs Creation]

Those look like bryopsis instead of hair algae. They are hard to get rid of. I would chuck the piece before it spread.

 

[Staaan]

3 of the heads on one of my Zoanthid frags have remained closed for the past 2 days. Does that mean they're dead?

 

[JonnyJ]

it really depends...do they look melted? almost slimed?

 

[Staaan]

No.. I can't say that they do. I'll take a pic and post it.

 

[jaa1456]

Yea it looks like bryopsis not hair algae, and you do have cyano. Get rid of that rock of Bryopsis or you are gonna have one long tough battle ahead

 

[Staaan]

Crap.. can't find my camera's batt.. charger haha

 

[Staaan]

It was growing off a frag plug. Can I remove the big zoanthid or paly or w/e its called lol. Theres also 2 little new heads growing off the frag, can I get them off as well and glue them on to a rock or to a new plug?

 

[thesauce]

I'd also recommend adding a skimmer if you don't have one already and modding one of the back chambers to grow chaeto.

 

[anthony27]

I agree with the sauce, throw a skimmer on the tank. And also buy the special blend but warning it is going to smell bad realy bad. Also where are you getting your water from and do a phosphate check and also run a little reactor with phosband in the tank is all esle of this fails then like allen said tank the rock out better to loose the coral then to keep the algie, and if you like that zoa so much then I have them in my tank I will frag you 3 heads to replace the ones you lost.

 

[Staaan]

Thanks so much Anthony.. I really appreciate that.

I have a 0ppm 6 stage RO/DI unit, thats where I get my water from.

I do a 20-30% water change weekly.. so I figured I can get by with out a skimmer.

I just purchased some Chemipure Elite, that I'm gunna throw in the back. I also forgot to remove all my bio balls. 2 days ago my Nitrate were at 10ppm.. but I did like a 80% water change, and got it down to 0ppm hopefully they'll help.

Theres really no room to mod a chamber on the 6 gallon. There is only 3.. (one for the sponge filter, and aother that I have carbon, bioballs and that ceramic media. The last chamber has the return pump and heater. I guess once I take the bio balls out.. I might be able to throw an underwater light and get some chaeto to grow in there. I looked into media baskets, however they don't make any for the 6g nano :-(

 

[anthony27]

take out the ceramic media bit by bit and also the bio balls bit by bit, meaning take some out slow once a week a little bit. Also I had high trates and I changed my skimmer and now I am using the special blend and it works great. the ceramic media is a host for trates to build up. use the chemi pure and run a small bag of gfo ( phosband) and see the results of that. I would also cut back on feeding the tank and the fish. Feed once a day and insted of one cube of frozen food or what ever you feed cut that in half, like a half a cube or half the ammount of what you feed now. Check the bulbs in the tank, how long have you had them and if you have had them, or see black around them, then change them out for new ones, and also run the lights for a shorter time span but if you have a clam in there I would not suggest this. all in all keep us posted with this endevor.

 

[Staaan]

Alrighty..will do.

The tank is brand new out of the box, so I doubt its something to do with the bulbs not giving off the right nm or degree of light.

As far as powerheads go.. I was told the NEW koralia nanos are very good. I was told that if you take your tank volume and multiply that by 35 = the gph you need out of your powerhead.

so 6gallons x 35 = 210gph

The new Koralia Nano does 285, and there is another that does 425. I've also seen some sites that have a nano that does 260 and 245, but I guess those are the older models.

So 1 Koralia Nano 285 should be sufficient?

Any store, thats NOT online that has decent prices on this stuff? I don't really think I wanna order special blend and a powerhead online and have to wait for it to come.

 

[Staaan]

The 425 is only $5 more than the 285.. would the 425 be overkill?

Oh and is this the phosphate remover you were talking about?
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8996